Forced Migrants in Russia:
An Analysis of Russian Law from a Human Rights Perspective

Samuel Marie-Fanon

Abstract

This paper describes the "forced return" of
Russian and Russian-speaking peoples in
the new "Republics" to Russia as a
consequence of the collapse of the USSR.
Although these migrations bear all the
earmarks of a refugee displacement, they
do not fall within the legitimate definitions
of forced migration. Consequently, these
individuals are forced to endure all the
trauma of displacement without recourse
to the normative international or human
rights remedies. The author suggests that
two new categories, "returnees" and
"returning migrants" be delineated to meet
the needs of these individuals. Several
examples of forced return are described in
the paper to clarify the parameters of the
problem and illustrate the consequences.